Playing with only eight available players, the Sonics still led by as many as nine points, 82-73, with eight and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, the Wizards were able to work their magic and come back on the strength of the smallest player on the court, Tyronn Lue. In a five-play span, Lue nailed three crucial three-pointers, reducing the deficit from seven to one. Washington also killed the Sonics on the offensive glass, with three critical second-chance scores down the stretch.

On the other end, Seattle got virtually zero contribution in the fourth quarter from anyone besides Gary Payton. Shammond Williams, forced into the lineup by the plethora of injuries, missed all three of his attempts in the final period. Desmond Mason, who scored 17 points, missed both of his tries in the fourth. Brent Barry, who was the team's primary offense in the third quarter, was covered tightly and had just one attempt in the fourth.

Payton could keep the team ahead until the 1:43 mark, when a Christian Laettner jumper gave the Wizards an 96-95 lead they would not relinquish. Payton forced a miss, and a tip-in extended the lead to three.

The Sonics had a pair of excellent chances to score on their next possession, with Art Long and Mason both missing in the paint before a scramble for the ball ended in a jump ball. Chaos reigned, as the tip led to another loose ball. In the pile-up, Long was called for his sixth personal foul and a pair of Lue free throws made it a two-possession lead. The Sonics would get the lead down to three, but a pair of Richard Hamilton free throws stuck the dagger in the Sonics, giving Washington their final 103-98 margin.

Although injuries forced the Sonics to use an unconventional lineup down the stretch with Mason as the team's power forward and little-used Olumide Oyedeji in the game, they fared poorly even at relatively full strength in the first half. After a strong start thanks to Payton, the Sonics looked sluggish in the first quarter, allowing five points to Lue shortly after he checked into the game. Behind Lue and Hamilton, who had 12 points in the first half, the Wizards led by three after one.

The Sonics rallied to take the lead throughout much of the second quarter, but relinquished it inside the final 2:28, after Lewis left the court and headed to the locker room holding his left arm. He was preliminarily diagnosed with a sprained shoulder, and will be re-evaluated today.

Despite Lewis' absence, the Sonics were hot offensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Wizards 28-21. Barry was simply phenomenal on the way to tying his career-high, set earlier this season, with 31 points. In the 12 minutes, he made four of his five attempts from the field and scored 16 points -- better than half his team's total. Seattle clamped down a bit on Lue, who had only three of his team-high 26 points during the third. Oyedeji rebounded a Payton miss and put it in at the buzzer, giving the Sonics a 75-69 lead, momentum, and the crowd behind them heading to the final period.

Box Score